Sally Poole is the owner of Poole Communications, with offices in Hannibal, Marshall and Poplar Bluff, Missouri. She is very involved in Hannibal and Quincy, IL., with memberships in the Chamber of Commerce, Hannibal Arts Council, Affordable Community Education, Lions Club and Rotary. She has helped in the fund-raising campaign to build a Hannibal campus for Moberly Area Community College. Currently she is helping to start the Hannibal Chamber Business Development Committee.

Jack Martin was born and raised in Hannibal. He joined the Army right out of high school, and was part of the 1158 Engineer Combat Group for three years. After getting out of the service, he went on to study Architectural Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1948, his senior year in college, he married Sue Stegall.

After graduating, Jack became a registered engineer and went to work with his father at Martin Construction. His grandfather was an architect who moved to Hannibal in 1903 and founded the company. Martin Construction has built many of the churches and libraries in this region. His grandfather was the architect for Stowell, Pettibone, and Mark Twain Schools, as well as the MCM building.

Jack and Sue have three children, John, Bill and Jill, and six grandchildren. Even in retirement Jack was still busy. He volunteered at Hannibal Regional Hospital, Northeast Missouri Humane Society and the Mark Twain Home & Museum. He is a past President of Rotary, and served as President of the Hannibal Industrial Development Corporation. He played golf, “although not very well,” he claimed. He enjoyed fishing for trout and carved birds out of wood.

Martin Construction has been a strong business in the community - by literally building new businesses and always taking time to giving back. Jack’s dad served a director for F&M Bank and Trust, and when he retired Jack became a director. The only directors that had been with the bank longer than Jack were Bayard Plowman and Chase Hickman. At the bank, Jack served on the trust committee that worked with the Riedel Foundation. When I interviewed Jack years ago, he told me, “This is a rewarding position. It is good to assist organizations that need help. It feels like you’ve really done some good.” This model of continuously giving back is what made Martin Construction successful and Jack Martin one of our noted community leaders.

Today, I salute Jack Martin and his years of service to this community. He will be sorely missed.